The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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46 THE WOLVERINE ❱ JANUARY 2025 ❱ FOOTBALL RECRUITING cellent vision and balance in his final year of high school. He's a patient runner and shows good explosion through the hole. Speed is a question mark for Parker, but he consistently churns out yards and wears down opposing defenses. At 6-foot, 211 pounds, Parker is a taller, athletic back who can also catch the ball out of the backfield. 10. DL Benny Patterson III NEWBURGH (IND.) CASTLE On3 Industry Ranking: Four-star (top 250-300) Our Ranking: Four-star (top 250- 300) The Skinny: A late riser, Patterson has an intriguing frame at 6-foot-2, 240 pounds. He has plenty of experi- ence rushing the passer but is expected to add significant weight and play as more of a 4i — similar to former Mich- igan defensive lineman Kris Jenkins. Ranked as the No. 25 defensive lineman and No. 298 overall recruit nationally, Patterson shows good length and ideal hand usage. He's very crafty, doing a fantastic job of getting after the quarterback and splitting double teams. Patterson still needs to improve from a technical perspective and will likely need to develop in the strength and conditioning program for a few years. But his ceiling is certainly high. 11. OL Avery Gach BIRMINGHAM (MICH.) GROVES On3 Industry Ranking: Four-star (top 250-300) Our Ranking: Four-star (outside top 300) The Skinny: Ranked as the No. 21 interior offensive lineman and No. 277 overall prospect nationally, Gach is a mauler in the trenches and loves to get physical in the run game. He displays fantastic brute strength and always seems to get a good push. He fits what Michigan has looked for in its guard prospects and plays with a true mean streak. Gach can continue to work on his feet and athleticism and doesn't offer much tackle flexibility. However, he's a great land as a true guard and has the potential to be a multi-year starter in the interior of the offensive line. 12. CB Jayden Sanders KILGORE (TEXAS) HIGH On3 Industry Ranking: Four-star (top 150-200) Our Ranking: Four-star (outside of top 300) The Skinny: At 6-foot-1, 181 pounds, Sanders is a tall, long corner with plenty of upside. Right now, he is a bit of a raw project who needs to add weight to his frame and polish up his technique. Sanders is a quality athlete who stars on both sides of the ball. Right now, he reminds us of fellow Texan and former Michigan cornerback Gemon Green who was a multi-year starter in Ann Arbor. Green came along late in his career, and that should be the expectation for Sanders, the No. 22 cornerback and No. 169 overall pros- pect nationally. He has a high ceiling if he can hit it, but he also has a low floor. 13. WR Jamar Browder LAKE WORTH (FLA.) SANTALUCES Industry Ranking: Mid three-star Our Ranking: High three-star The Skinny: Michigan wanted to add size to the wide receiver room and signed a late riser in Browder. At 6-foot-5, 208 pounds, he is a massive target on the outside, plays with tremendous physi- cality and is tough to bring down once he gets a full head of steam. Browder can be a safety blanket over the middle of the field and is even capable of playing more of a flex end role. He knows how to use his size to his advantage and win in the red zone. Ranked as the No. 92 wide receiver and No. 567 overall prospect nationally, Browder is still a project as a route runner and needs to improve his flexibility. 14. WR Jacob Washington NEW ORLEANS (LA.) ARCHBISHOP SHAW On3 Industry Ranking: Four-star (top 200-250) Our Ranking: High three-star The Skinny: Washington is an- other taller wide receiver who adds some much-needed size to the wide receiver room. However, he's a much d i f fe re n t ty p e o f p ro s p e c t t h a n Browder. Washington has good speed for his size and can stretch the field vertically. He shows a tremendous catch radius over the middle of the field and is very fluid getting in and out of breaks. However, Washington needs to add more weight to his frame (6-3, 183) and play with more physicality. He doesn't always use his size to his advantage. Ranked as the No. 25 wide receiver and No. 213 overall prospect nationally, Wash- ington is a plus run blocker. 15. TE Eli Owens ALCOA (TENN.) HIGH On3 Industry Ranking: Mid three-star Our Ranking: High three-star The Skinny: At 6-foot-1, 223 pounds, Owens is a true